REPOST: More Watermelon Please!

Hi Folks this is an archived article from last summer with added watermelon juice or smoothie recipes.  If you love watermelon, you'll enjoy this article!

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Summer time has hit with a vengeance and my favorite fruit to eat, and what I yearn for every summer, is WATERMELON!

I love watermelon.  It's the most refreshing, filling, enjoyable fruit that has come into my life. Nice, cold, sweet, watermelon! Does anyone else drink the leftover juice in the bowl??? That's my favorite part! Although I do not use a "method" to pick my watermelons (thumping, smelling, etc.), 90% of the time I get a pretty good one.  I love the kind that has slightly mealy pulp, sweet flavor,  good color and less than a 1/4 inch of rind.

A few years ago we tried to grow some in our garden.  Watching them grow was like going to a theme park for me! It was amazing to see the growth process (see below).

Watermelon emerging from the vine

Baby melon

Starting to take shape. mmmm good!

Melons in general have an excellent cleansing effect.  They alkalize the body and will hydrate you after a long run or day in the sun better than a sports drink.  My mother always raves about how much energy she received from eating watermelon after a long day working on their farm (in the Dirty South).

Here are some other facts about watermelon:
1.  It can remove toxins from the blood.
2.  It should be eaten between meals - not right after because the water content can affect digestion.
3.  It can be tolerated well by diabetics due to it's low sugar content (but it tastes so sweet!).
4.  It can help fight urinary conditions such as kidney stones.
5.  Eating watermelon is a good way to loose weight.  It fills you up and satisfies cravings for something sweet.

Here are some links to juices and smoothies that contain watermelon:
1. Summer Hydration juice
2. Watermelon Plum smoothie
3. Watermelon Cilantro juice

So, eat up  and drink up this summer season......I know I will!  Most melons in the US are grown in the Southern states and are a watermelon lover's DREAM! Watermelon is Caleb approved and a good way for him to hydrate, especially the days where he refuses to drink pure water.

May I have more watermelon please??

What is your favorite summer fruit?

The Smoothie Journey: 10 Smoothie making tips for Newbies

Since I started the Juicing/Smoothie group I have been a smoothie and juice making monster!  I've created tons of new recipes most of which send me into a satisfying blissful state! I don't like to toot my own horn...but TOOT! TOOT!

Since we've started these challenges we've had 65 people join the group! It's awesome! Some of the folks are dusting off their blenders and juicers and other are buying new ones and embarking on a new journey to better health.

I decided to put together a quick list of tips for those that are just starting out.  Making juices and smoothies can be a daunting task in the beginning.  From the feedback I've gotten, people are afraid of wasting money on blends that taste horrible and mixing together the wrong ingredients.

If you find yourself in either category hopefully this list will help!

10 Smoothie Making Tips for Newbies:

1. Start with your favorite fruits/veggies, herbs and liquids.

2. Make simple blends with 3 or 4 ingredients. Don't try to be fancy in the beginning, you could end up wasting ingredients.  You cant go wrong with the classic strawberry banana smoothie.

3. Fresh fruit is more juicy...but frozen fruit is good too.

4. If possible add something green to every smoothie. Spinach is a powerhouse that is relatively bland. The flavor can be masked easily.

 

5. Choose your favorite protein soruces

6. Always adjust the blend before giving up and throwing it away (add more ice, water, fruits, etc.)

7. Use a good balance of sweet and sour ingredients. If the smoothie is too sweet, add a tart cherry or plum.

8. Keep dates and lemons on hand.  Dates add sweetness and lemons can balance the flavor profile or brighten it up.

9. Make sure you blend to the consistency you like the most.  Too lumpy can be gross, too thin can be tasteless and too thick can be hard to get down.

10. If you are replacing a meal with a smoothie make sure to add enough protein (hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, almond milk, protein powder of your choice, etc.).

Here is one of my favorites: Blueberry Peach!

frozen peaches, fresh blueberries, 1 banana, chia seeds, hemp seeds, ice, lemon juice

Smoothie on the go!

Can you think of any other tips for the smoothie newbies?

Peace and love!

Detoxification: Liver and Onions Part 4

Let the flush begin!!!

This week is all about the FLUSH!  I spent the last 4 weeks  preparing  for this.   I'm  finally going through with the liver flush.

Here is what this week will consist of:

Day 1  and 5 - Raw food

• Step 1 - Drink 8 oz of purified water
• Step 2 - Drink the liver gall bladder flush mix (see below)
• Step 3 - Drink liver gall bladder tea, blood detox tincture, anti parasite tincture, echinacea/golden seal tincture (this should be repeated 3 times during the day)
• Step 4 - Drink morning nutritional smoothie
• Step 5 - Consume only raw fruit and vegetables

Day 2, 3, 4 - Juice Fast

• Step 1 - Drink 8 oz of purified water
• Step 2 - Drink the liver gall bladder flush mix
• Step 3 - Drink liver gall bladder tea, blood detox tincture, anti parasite tincture, echinacea/golden seal tincture (this should be repeated 3 times during the day)
• Step 4 - Drink morning nutritional smoothie
• Step 5 - Drink fruit juice, vegetable juice herbal teas and potassium broth all day long

Day one is complete and I'm on to the juice fast.  I did not cheat yesterday!  I completed all steps with some irritation.  I WAS HUNGRY! I WANTED TO EAT MORE THAN FRUIT and VEGETABLES!  But I did not cheat - even when a co-worker began chomping on peanut M&Ms of all things!!!!!!!  I stuck to the plan as outlined! Whoop whoop!! 

Here is what I ate:

Breakfast - Nutritional smoothie (star fruit, mango, green apple, spirulina, banana, alkaline water)
Snack - banana
Lunch - Green salad (romaine lettuce, arugula, snap peas, carrots, cucumber, peppers, dried cranberries, and chick peas)
Snack - carrot sticks and grapes
Dinner - Smoothie (cherries, green grapes, avocado, fruit pulp (from juicer), alkaline water)

Here is the liver gall bladder flush mix:

• 8oz of fresh citrus juice (grapefruit, orange, tangerine, etc.)
• 8oz of purified water
• 1 - 5 cloves of garlic (start with one and increase daily)
• 1-5 tablespoons of olive oil (start with one and increase daily)
• ginger root (1 inch)

Liver gall bladder flush mix - orange, grapefruit, garlic, ginger, olive oil

Fresh juice

The mix  in the blender

Finished blend

 Here are the tincture ingredients:

Anti parasite tincture

Blood detox tincture

Echinacea and goldenseal tincture

Detoxification: Liver and Onions Part 2

Spring is on the way! I can feel it in my bones, even though the temperature was only 42 degrees in the North East yesterday. I cleaned out some (not all) spiritual dirt by participating in the Daniel Fast.  Now it's time to clean out my liver........again!  I started a liver flush in October 2013, but it got derailed because I caught a cold.  It's time to try it again!

Here is what the flush is composed of:

Week 1 - 3: preparation

1. Drink Burdock Root tea every morning (2 cups)
2. Drink Liver/Gall bladder tea every other day (4-6 cups)
3. Drink Detox tea every other day (4-6 cups)
4. Drink Dandelion tea every night (1 cup)

Week 4:  The Flush.......

1. Purifying raw food (2 days)
2. Juice fast (3 days)

Based on my previous detox experiences (dry brushing, 30 Day Raw Food), I surmise that week 4 will be a doozy!  I have never truly prepared myself for a detox...I just jump into it, and 75% of the time I got hit with serious detox symptoms.  Some symptoms include joint pain, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, irritability and extreme fatigue.

This will be the first time I'm actually preparing my self.  So far, so good.  I'm on day #4 and coupling it with dry brushing.  There are so many teas to drink, I don't have belly room for junk!

Liver cleansing is key to a healthy body.  I'm embarking upon this journey again, with hopes of seeing it through till the end.  Pray church!! :)

The Liver Gall Bladder tea contains: dandelion, barberry, chamomile, yellow dock, fringtree and peppermint.

The Flush tea contains: alfalfa, blackberry leaf, myrtle leaf, uva ursi, rosehips, nettle, juniper berries, licorice root, sage.

I'm hoping to FINALLY get rid of my dry skin, bad circulation, night sweats, cravings, and skin discoloration.  Oh...and joint pain! It's all about giving my liver a HUMONGOUS hug and kiss!

If you have allergies, body odor, cravings, dry skin, joint pain, night sweats, varicose veins, bad PMS, low energy, constipation, insomnia....try cleaning out your liver.  Drinking herbal tea and eating clean food will do NOTHING but improve your health.

As usual I have my detox journal primed and ready to capture the "fun" so......stay tuned!!!

Peace and love!

Caleb's Corner: Banana Breakfast Remix

Caleb's favorite fruit is the banana.....he would eat 10 in a day if we let him! For about a year, Caleb's favorite breakfast has been "banana and chia" (chia porridge that is).  Welp, lately the King of Banana Land is getting tired of chia.....not of bananas!  "No I don't want chia Mommy" he exclaims every time he sees me pull it out of the cupboard. 

Chia porridge with banana

So I've been trying to find different ways to provide a healthy, allergy free breakfast for the little guy. 

I landed on banana smoothies!  It's been a great hit and while we used to let Caleb eat 3 or 4 bananas a day (yes, you read right), now we limit him to 2 a day.  The banana smoothie is a great way to give him the bananas that he loves and other nutritious food in literally one gulp.  If you are not giving your children smoothies yet, start now!! Just like for adults it's a great way to get a power packed meal. 

Here's the recipe:

Caleb's Banana Smoothie
1 banana
4 - 5 dates (pitted)
1/2 cup of frozen mango
1/4 cup of hemp seeds
water for desired consistency - you can use any juice instead

Blend it all up at once and Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Satisfied customer (Go Mommy! Go Mommy!)

Daniel Fast Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  After sleeping all night (hopefully), your body is ready for some nourishment (I know mine is!).  That's what "breakfast" is....breaking an all night fast.  Some people don't have appetites in the morning, but I think there's a disconnect there....at least drink a cup of tea! One of Caleb's favorite morning meals is chia porridge with bananas.  I remixed his morning favorite to suit my Daniel fast needs. 

Chia porridge with hemp seed milk, strawberries, bananas, pears and a touch of granola.  YUMMY! If you have not tried chia yet, please do!  It's such a wonderful seed full of nutrition.  It will take on any flavor you add to it and is excellent for weight loss.

Chi Chi Chi Chia!!

Eat up!

Peace and love!

Pear Kiwi Smoothie

Here's another quick and easy smoothie recipe for the Journey!  It was my first time using coconut yogurt! Very tasty!!


Ingredients: pear, kiwi, dates and coconut yogurt (hemp milk not shown)

 



Add everything to blender and puree away!



Peace and love!

The Food Journey: Raw and Delicious!

I ate some really delicious RAW food that I want to tell you about.  I attended a dinner at Original Herbal Remedies this past weekend and it was superb! If you are in the NYC area and are interested in exploring raw cuisine please stop by.
 I forgot to take pictures of the appetizer, but see below for the menu and pictures of this scrumptious meal.

Appetizer
Kale and cabbage salad with kale crackers and nut cheese
Mango salad

Entrée:
Cauliflower rice with spicy cheese topping
Stuffed tomatoes with cashew sour cream
Brazil nut sunflower meatballs in tomato sauce
Bulgur cabbage on abed of power greens with avocado

Desert:
Raw carrot cake
Orange and chocolate ice cream
Coconut chocolate macaroons

If it sounds like a lot of food....it was!! :)  I was stuffed to the brim! 



The Entrée



 

Dessert - chocolate and orange ice cream, coconut macaroon and carrot cake

 

What I love most about eating raw food is that it's alive!  All of the nutrients the food has to offer is being added to my body system. None of the nutrients have been degraded by heat making the food more nourishing.  A few months ago I wrote a piece on raw foods after taking my first raw food preparation class.  Here is an excerpt I want to share again (with slight modifications):

1. RAW FOOD = LIVING FOOD
2. When we cook food, the nutrients  are degraded and in some cases totally destroyed.  Leaving the food we eat on a daily basis with little nutrition.  Most of us supplement with vitamins we take orally.  If we eat well we can get all the nutrients we need solely from our food.
3. Raw food is SO FLAVORFUL (if prepared right)! Oftentimes we think of raw, vegan food as gross, cardboard-ish and boring. 
4. Raw food is very FILLING!
5. Start slow.  Pick a recipe and perfect it before moving on to more complicated dishes.
6. You can adapt cooked recipes to a raw version. 
7. Our taste buds are dead and traumatized by all the processed food we eat.  We can revive them by eating better wholesome foods...and when you do , it will be hard to go back.
8. If cooking using conventional means add oils and pepper last.  Oils and peppers can degrade while cooking and interrupt digestion.

After the  30-Day Raw Food Challenge I conquered this summer I felt like a new person.  I believe in raw foods and enjoy making and eating them.  If you've eaten a vegetable or fruit salad then you've had raw food! :)   Explore the concept a little further to really see what raw foodism entails.  I don't think I will ever be 100% raw, but I love the cuisine and encourage you all to eat one full raw meal very soon!

 Peace and blessings!

The Food Journey: C - Blast Smoothie

I created my new favorite smoothie for the 2013 cold weather season.  Yes...I know it's really cold and nice warm mugs of tea,  hot chocolate or lattes are SO good this time of year...but my body is still yearning for a BIG fresh vitamin hit.  Just like our juicer that is whirring away our blender is still in business too.  The C - Blast smoothie (C = vitamin C) hit the spot this morning! I created a powerful nutritious breakfast with a few simple ingredients.  Take a look:

Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries (frozen)
1/2 cup cranberries (fresh)
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
4-5 dates
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

You can add water to reach your desired consistency.  I didn't add any water to this recipe...it was definitely straw worthy.

Here are some nutrition facts on the ingredients used:

Nutrient Profiles of C -  Blast Ingredients
Nutrient	Strawberry 1 cup	Cranberry 1 cup	Orange Juice 8 oz	Dates  5 - 6 pieces	Pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup
Vitamin C	120%	10%	137%	0%	0%
Fiber	16%	10%	0%	2%	12%
Iron	2%	0%	2%	0%	15%
Protein	n/a	0%	0%	0%	9g
Fat	0%	0%	0%	0%	22%

% Daily values are provided in the chart based on serving sizes from nutrition declarations on pack.

 

Packed with fiber and vitamin C!! A great immune system booster. Try it and tell me what you think!!

 

Peace and blessings!
 

The Food Journey: Pumpkin Delight Smoothie

I'm squashing disease  by utilizing my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pumpkin!  First time making a smoothie out of pumpkin and it was DELICIOUS!  

Pumpkin Delight Smoothie:
2 cups of pumpkin (raw or steamed) - I actually used 1 cup of each
2 cups of hemp seed milk
Honey (sweetened to taste)
1/2 cup coconut butter/manna
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice blend
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of ginger powder

Again...please free style this recipe to suit your taste buds. You can use dates instead of honey, almond milk instead of hemp seed milk, etc. 




Pumpkin parts!



Ingredients

 

Pumpkin Delight

Has any one else tried pumpkin in a smoothie?

Peace and blessings

The Multi-purpose Chinese Apple

Hi Folks! Chinese apples.....AKA...POMEGRANATES are back in season and can be found in most grocery stores now.  My husband loves them and more recently I've grown to enjoy the fruit as well.  This fruit has so many benefits, eating one will serve many purposes and nourish many areas of your body. 

Chinese Apple...aka..Pomegranate

History:
1. The pomegranate is originally from the near east.  It is grown in Iran, Turkey, Mediterranean countries, Brazil and California.
2.  Arab people promoted the cultivation of this fruit, giving it royal symbolism.
3. King Solomon compared the cheeks of his beloved to the pomegranate 3,000 years ago.

8 Health benefits:
1. Rich in vitamins - C, E, B6, B1, B2 and niacin
2. High in antioxidants - anthocyanins are the reddish or bluish pigments that act as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory substances in the digestive tract.  They can also effect the ageing process and have anti-caner properties.
3. Can alkalize the body.
4. Can help protect the arteries from aging/clogging (arteriosclerosis) due to vitamins C and E.
5. The levels of potassium allow this fruit to combat high blood pressure.
6. Can help fight anemia due to it's high iron content.  It can enrich and nourish the blood.
7. The white casing that covers the seeds and walls contain a substance called vermifuge that helps eliminate intestinal parasites.
8. It's a great morning snack and a good alternative to sugary foods.

Whew! Those 8 benefits alone should make everyone run out buy some pomegranates!
Plus when you get a REALLY good one....woooo wee! The rich, juicy flavor is amazing!

How to eat the Pomegranate:
I "release" the seeds from the casing/walls and chew everything up! Some will just suck the juice from the seeds and spit the seeds out...that's too much work for me! Others I know will eat everything but the skin (the walls, seeds and white casing).  The walls are too bitter for me.

How I like to eat the Pomegranate...

 

How do you eat the pomegranate?

Peace and blessings!

References:
1. The Encyclopedia of Food and Their Healing Power - Volume 2 - Dr. Pamplona Roger

Saving Money....Saving the Earth - Community Supported Agriculture

Hi Folks! 

I've been silent for a few weeks.  No the liver detox did not wipe me out (Liver Onions and Divas), but a two week cold virus did. Plus Caleb got the bug and I've been in quarantine -- I mean cooped up in the house for 5 days straight!! Can you say stir crazy!

Well this post is all about sharing the Community Supported Agriculture love - aka CSA.

I joined one this fall and I am SO excited!!!!!!!!!!!  First of all I will be saving approximately $500 over the next 7 weeks on my grocery bill.  Second of all it's good to give back and keep small farmers alive.  Did I say that everything is ORGANIC and FRESH????

So here is the bounty from the first week:

Pumpkin, garlic, beets, tomatoes, sweet potatoes (white and orange), leek, spinach, chard, turnips, green leaf lettuce, cabbage (unknown variety), radish

I've been charged with making great dishes with all of these wonderful veggies...but I've never prepared turnips, radishes or leeks....so I'm going to need some help.

Here are some meals I started with: 

Yellow split pea soup with garlic and spinach

Vegetable soup with awesome Asian inspired broth and thin rice noodles.  Broth contained: vegetable stock, miso, soy sauce, honey, red pepper, coconut oil, lime, ginger, garlic) CSA veggies used: unknown cabbage, spinach.  Other veggies used: carrots, green onions

 Other items I made this week (not pictured) were:

• green juice with (kale, chard, dandelion greens, green apples, ginger and lime)
• salad with unknown cabbage, chard, kale, green apples, carrots, sprouts, dill, green onion (dressing: garlic, olive oil, salt, lime, honey)
• pasta using  the CSA tomatoes and garlic

I'm just hoping we won't let any of this good food go to waste.  Neighbors beware! We're gonna come a knocking if the bounty begins to overflow! :)

Any good turnip, radish and leek recipes out there???

Peace and blessings!

The Food Journey: Pleasant Plantain Chips

Hi Folks -

Since I am in detox mode I have to find snacks that will satisfy my snackaholic ways and nourish my body.  Plus, Caleb cannot eat processed/packaged foods and the little guy loves to snack too (wonder where that trait came from!).  So I made some raw plantain chips.  You can usually find this snack food in a bodega or corner store.  It's usually fried in vegetable oil and seasoned with salt.  My rendition is similar except no hot oil touched these plantains...I used the dehydrator!

This snack is EXTREMELY simple to make.  I thinly sliced one ripe plantain, put the slices on the dehydrator tray, set the temperature to 135F, sprinkled salt and coconut oil on the plantain slices and let it dehydrate for about 18 hours.

Chip preparation (thinly sliced plantain, pink Himalayan salt, touch of coconut oil (not shown))

Plantain slices on dehydrator tray

Nesco dehydrator (set to 135 F)

Final result! Pleasant Plantain Chips!

Plantains are naturally very sweet and once in dehydrated form they were even sweeter! However...I think 18 hours was a little too long.  The chips were really hard, but so tasty.  For the next batch I make I will decrease the drying time, add more salt and cut the slices a wee bit thinner. 

If you don't have a dehydrator try doing this in an oven with very low heat.

FYI...This snack is Caleb approved! :) He had a hard time biting them at first...but he adjusted and tore up those chips!

Any suggestions for other healthy snacks I can make?

Peace and blessings!

The Food Journey: Kale Ginger Ale

Hi Folks! 

Smoothies are a great way to have a raw...yes raw meal and to provide your body with fresh unaltered nutrients.  If you are a good smoothie mixologist, you won't even realize that you are drinking raw food! :)

Here is another simple smoothie recipe you should try called Kale Ginger Ale.

Recipe:
1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger root
4 - 5 leaves of kale (any type will do)
1 cup pineapple (not shown)
1/2 cup hemp seeds
H20 for desired consistency

Put everything in the blender and whirl away!

Remember to free style this recipe...tweak the amounts I provided to suit your taste buds.

Remember: kale is the Queen of the Greens! It's packed with so many vitamins and minerals  and even contains protein.  Ginger is good for digestion and  promotes good circulation. Hemp seeds are packed with protein and calcium so you are getting a power punch of energy to fuel your day.

Kale Ginger Ale (kale, ginger, hemp seeds (not shown) and pineapple (not shown)

Try it and tell me what you think!

Peace and blessings!

Detoxification: Liver, Onions and Divas!

Hi Folks!

It's time for another detox experience.  This year I did a dry brush and a raw food detox.  Both left me in good shape.  I was sharper, leaner, stronger, softer (skin wise) and focused. 

One of the things I've been wanting to do is a liver cleanse/detox.  The liver is the powerhouse of our bodies.  It helps our digestive system, filters out toxins and secrets hormones that we need to keep living.  It often gets overlooked and ignored, but without it we would not be alive. 

So...I want to give my liver a BIG hug and KISS!

The Power House

To do this I will be drinking teas and cleaning up my diet.  This liver cleanse is sponsored by Herbal Bush House.  I have coupled this liver detox with another program called Detox For a Diva  sponsored by Soul Food Therapy. 

The Liver Cleanse:
The liver cleanse I'm doing consists of 4 weeks of preparation.  The prep work consists of  drinking a series of teas, taking a product called Gut Buster Pro and cleaning up my diet.  This is where Detox for a Diva comes in.  The recipes provided are nutritious and most of all DELICIOUS!

After 4 weeks of prep the 5th week will consist of all raw food (including juices, smoothies and fasting).

Detox For a Diva:
To help me get ready for the 5th week of the liver cleanse, I've been a part of the Detox for a Diva program.  Along with the great recipes/food, the regimen consists of dry brushing, drinking lemon water every morning, and taking nice cleansing baths.  So far I'm behind the rest of the ladies but I'm hanging in there! 

I'm also doing well with drinking my teas.  I've just completed week #1.

More to come!!!  Mr. Detox and I have gotten reacquainted! Whew! I was on a slippery sweet, salty slope these last few weeks.  Time to put on my big girl panties and get it together!! :)

I will say it did not take me long to get in swing of both programs (Liver cleanse and Detox For a Diva) due the progress in self control and commitment I've made by finishing the raw food detox challenge (Raw Food Diet is Over!).  Plus...I LOVE doing the right thing for my health.  It supersedes any cravings for munchkins  I may get! :)

Stay tuned.........

Peace and blessings!

The Food Journey: Berry Blizzard

Hi Folks!

I've been on the run these last few weeks...so much so, that I've been making TONS of smoothies and quick meals to prevent myself from eating things I shouldn't and to keep my engines revved up!

Here is a simple but absolutely YUMMY smoothie recipe I've made about 6 times in the last few weeks! I call it the Berry Blizzard smoothie.  This smoothie is full of vitamin C and antioxidants and is so TASTY! Oh...and Caleb approved! :)


Berry Blizzard Recipe:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 - 1/2 cup fresh red grapes
1 cup goji berries (dried)
1/2 cup cranberries (dried)
water (add to reach desired consistency)

Optional:  hemp and chia seeds

Add all ingredients to blender and whirl away!

Berries in VitaMix

Cranberry (dark purple), Goji berry (bright red), Strawberry and Red Grapes

Berry Blizzard!

 

Happy smoothie making!

Peace and blessings!